The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-08-06

Nary, she had never heard such prayer
as that woman made-never!
And 30 she went on daily, for che left
the household to Betsy Ann and the cat,
and followed these two wherever they
went to preach or to teach, in the churches,
the halls, the-anywhere. Peter could
not but share in her interest; he listened
to her reports of meetings with both his
ears and all his soul. He looked upon
Lydia as favored above measure, and
fairly pinned to have these wonderful wo-
men admit the general public to their
presence and allow them to share their
gifts and graces; but the meetings SO far
were crowded with women that there
was no place found for men.
One day Betsey Ann announced to
Lydia that Somebody's ben movin' into
the next house, Mis- Patterson; p'rhaps
you're goin' to hev neighbors that side,
of you haven't got them t'other."
1t had been mystery and a trial to
Lydia ever since she came to her new
home that her next door neighbors did
not call on her. She did not even know
their names. She saw a man leave the
house after breakfast and return before
dinner, and sometimes she saw lady go
out and take the cross-town cars; once
she had done that at the same time, but
she did not dare to "scrape acquaintance"
as she termed it, and as there was no
door, plate on that door, she could not
address the lady by name. 1t seemed
cold, unchristian way to live, but after a
time she became used to it, and in her
interesting meetings forgot this unpleas-
ant state of things. The left-hsnd house
had long been empty, but Lydia was not
30 sanguine about it's new occupants as
| her handmade.
Still, being from the country where we
all make it our business to know every
man, woman and child who goes into or
comes out of the next houses, and those
across the street besides, Lydia did turn
watchful eye on the new family. She OBJ
served that they kept later hours than she
and Peter did, for night after night, when
Peter had locked every lock and turned out
every burner, when the cat was slaughter
ing the innocents in the cellar and kitch-
en-, when Betsy was snoring in the attic
and the worthy pair themselves were
safe in bed and asleep, Lydia would sud-
denly wake, lift her deep frilled nightcap
from the pillow, and hearing the roll OF
carriage come up the street, stop, bell
rung sharply, and doors open and shut,
she would remark to the still slumbering
Peter, "Those folks next door is pretty
late BIRDS" Yet she had never caught a
| glimpse of them for two months after
they were settled at her left hand.
One dark, wintry night, there set in a
heavy rain, SO heavy that neither Peter
or Lydia thought it safe to go out, for
the water froze as it fell, and the streets
were sheet of wet ice; they were very
much disappointed, for that night Mrs.
johnson Park and Miss Adeline Nary
were to speak in a grand meeting for
"both sexes" as the advertisement spe-
cially announced. But Peter was too
rotund to trust himself out in such a
state of things, and Lydia could not go
alone, so they passed quiet evening by
the fire, or rather by that hole in the
floor which represents the family hearth
in city houses, Peter reading aloud the
latest papers and pamphlets issued by
the temperance party, and Lydia peace
fully knitting on silk sock destined for
her lord and master.
There were some awful revelations in
those papers that excited Peter very
much; statistics as to the amount OF hab-
| itual drunkenness among tie female
leaders OF society in the city, shocked his
| very soul; he read and re-read, comment
ed and groaned, till Lydia began to shiv-
or at the thought that all the rich and
aristocratic women in Gotham were
in constant danger of delirium tremens.
In fact, when bedtime came and sleep
descended on the eyes OF the worthy pair
they were both dreaming of reeling wo-
men in sealskin and velvet, diamonds
glittering in their ears, and plumes way-
ing above their foolish faces, who blocked
Fifth avenue, and refused passage to
sober folk, when they we're simultaneous
ly reused by sharp, imperative ring at
the door-bell.
Peter jumped and hurried on his
clothes. "Don't you comel" he smartly
addressed Lydia. ats probably murder
or fire. You stay right there"
Lydia sank back obediently, and an
other loud peal hurried Peter to the door.
He stopped to light the gas in the hall,
and as it flashed up, heard carriage
drive away, and another ring smote on
his ear. He opened the door, and the
| light streamed on two women flushed in
face, dripping with rain, clothed with old
waterproof cloaks, disheveled curls peep
ing from one hood and straight rough
| bang from the other.
$50 off the steps, you drunken
wretchesT' screamed Peter, slsmming
the door in their faces. Then he turned
down the gas and listened at the keyhole.
"Oh Jane! how dreadful 1t must be
that brother of Bridget's that was to
come as our waiter to-day; he don't know
us. Oh, stagger 30 on this wet icel'
Peter caught the words dreadful and
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